ECC organises Green Lunar New Year Fair to promote "use less, waste less" message (with photos)
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Members of the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) Publicity Working Group today (January 24) visited the Lunar New Year (LNY) Fair at Cheung Sha Wan Playground to see the operation of the Green LNY Fair. They also called on stall operators and members of the public to practise green initiatives during large-scale festive celebrations.
In view of the considerable amount of waste being disposed of after the annual LNY fair activities, this year, the ECC, the Environmental Protection Department and the Conservancy Association are jointly holding the first ever Green LNY Fair to enhance environmental awareness among stall operators and the general public. Being held at the Cheung Sha Wan LNY Fair, the pilot campaign aims to encourage stall operators and members of the public to follow the "use less, waste less" principle, separate waste properly and support sharing of resources during the LNY fair.
This year, a number of green stall operators at the Cheung Sha Wan LNY Fair have signed up to the Green Pledge by committing to practise a series of environmental actions, including reduction in the use of plastic bags and disposable utensils, donation of unsold goods to people in need and proper recycling of waste materials. The ECC Publicity Working Group members today visited the green stalls to see implementation of the green initiatives. The stall operators also shared with them their experience in engaging staff and customers to support their pledge.
The members also visited the shopping bag sharing stands provided at the LNY fair, where visitors could donate or pick up a reusable shopping bag for use at the fair to reduce the use of plastic bags. In addition, there is also a green collection station operated by the Conservancy Association to collect unsold dry goods from stalls for donation to charities after the fair. The collection station also serves as a publicity and educational station to encourage the public to share with their friends and relatives their favourite LNY green tips via social media platforms, such as using "good-as-new" notes and reusing red packets. Waste materials generated by fair stalls, including canvas, decorative materials, sand bags, polyfoam, wooden boards and bamboo sticks, will be properly sorted on-site for recycling, reuse and donation.
The Chairman of the ECC, Mr Lam Chiu-ying, said that by setting up different sharing platforms and a well-established collection network, members of the community can effectively make full use of the available resources and minimise waste generation. Mr Lam also encouraged the public to carry "the five must-haves" - a shopping bag, a handkerchief, reusable cutlery, a food container and a water bottle - to avoid using disposable items.
Mr Lam said he hoped that stall operators and the general public would support the Green LNY Fair by avoiding the production of unnecessary waste and adopting green living, and inspire other event organisers to incorporate more green elements in their events to further promote a low-carbon living culture.
Ends/Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:13
Issued at HKT 16:13
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